Beauty’s growing presence in sports
From sponsorships & endorsements, broadcast integrations & advertisements, product development & sampling, matchday integrations and experiential activations, beauty brands are carving out a powerful
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Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase became the Cronulla Sharks’ new front-of-shorts NRL sponsor, and Solar specialist SipEnergy became the back-of-short partner.
Crown extended its partnerships with the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers and created launch videos with both teams that feature their star players
Geelong Cats announced Asian Sauce provider Lee Kum Kee as a new Premier Partner - as part of the deal MasterChef stars Mimi Wong and Declan Cleary will serve Asian-inspired footy bites at the President’s Club function
Collingwood FC welcomed Arrow Transport as an Official Partner as part of a 3-year deal
ASICS extended its Official and Exclusive Footwear partnership with Hockey Australia and the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras until the end of 2028, continuing an enduring decade-long partnership
Red Bull became the Official Energy Drink partner of F45 Training - as part of the deal Red Bull is set to become available across F45 Training studios for gym-goers to purchase to help fuel their workouts
Rugby Australia announced that Funlab (which owns Holy Moley Golf Club, Hijinx Hotel, Archie Brothers, Cirque Electriq and Strike Bowling) signed on as an official partner for 2025
Sydney Swans announced an extension of its partnership with Princess Cruises which will host its second Sydney Swans cruise on a 3-day round-trip journey from Sydney to Eden
Australian distributor of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), workwear and personal lighting equipment, GAVMANAK upgraded its partnership with Wests Tigers to become the Official Membership Partner for 2025
Queensland Government confirmed a new 2032 infrastructure plan which includes, a new 63,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park, a world-class aquatic centre, the Gabba to be demolished and replaced by a new urban precinct, the Athletes’ Village to be built at the Brisbane Showgrounds and Brisbane Live to be delivered privately next to Cross River Rail at Woolloongabba
Table Tennis Australia (TTA) announced a new live streaming partnership with sports technology company SportVot Australia which will provide cutting-edge live-streaming services for TTA events.
GWS Giants young superstar Finn Callaghan launched a new YouTube channel (via Prince Sports & Entertainment) to showcase his life beyond footy
Boston Celtics were purchased for a record $6.1b, the highest ever amount paid for a North American sports franchise, eclipsing the $6bn purchase of the NFL's Washington Commanders in 2023
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Beauty’s growing presence in sports is a trend worth noticing
From sponsorships & endorsements, broadcast integrations & advertisements, product development & sampling, matchday integrations and experiential activations, beauty brands are carving out a powerful presence in sports.
What’s giving rise to this trend?
Women's sports are experiencing unprecedented growth – In 2024, Deloitte found that global revenues in women’s elite sports reached US$1.28b, and it’s predicted to hit $2.35b in 2025, up 240% from $692m in 2022.
Athletes are redefining beauty - female athletes are increasingly looked-up to for their achievements, strength and individuality, and female athletes are changing the narrative around what it means to be beautiful. The emergence of sports x beauty is a cultural shift and female sports stars are becoming role models for beauty beyond the traditional mold.
Sports are drawing larger female audiences than ever, offering beauty brands a new vehicle to connect with consumers in a meaningful way.
41% of Formula 1 fans are now female, with women aged 18-24 emerging as the fastest-growing segment, some credit Netflix’s Drive to Survive for this.
It was recently reported that 47% of the NFL’s audience is female and 68% of all women and girls in the U.S. are fans of the league.
Major sports events are becoming "the new red carpet" according to many on TikTok. Iconic events such as the Super Bowl, Wimbledon, Formula 1 etc. have become a status symbol for many celebrities and influencers.
This theme was most recently evident in Australia at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix - In the lead up to Glamour on the Grid, Crown hosted a number of VIP attendees who showcased glimpses of their glamorous pre-event preparations on social media.
The business case for beauty x sports
PwC expects the sports sponsorship market to reach $115b in 2025 and hit $160b by 2030 at an industry growth rate of 8.7%
Women’s sports offers an exceptional ROI, and beauty brands are well placed to be beneficiaries - a 2023 Victorian Government study (via Gemba) found that “Every $1 invested by a corporate sponsor into the visibility of women’s elite sport is supporting the realisation of, on average, $7.29 in customer value for that organisation.”
The intersection of sports x beauty creates a powerful virtuous cycle
When beauty brands invest in women’s sports, they fuel its momentum, driving better performance, greater visibility, and a growing fan base. In turn, this expanded platform delivers stronger ROI for brands, empowering them to reinvest and amplify the cycle even further.
The partnership between beauty x sports is in its early stages, and it’s a new phenomenon for many sports, and a sea of untapped potential for others
Here’s how beauty brands are making bold moves in sports across the globe…
Super Bowl goes glam
While traditional categories like alcohol and FMCG have dominated NFL Super Bowl advertising in the past, beauty brands are now entering the spotlight.
Last year, an unprecedented number (4 in total) of beauty brands (e.l.f., Dove, NYX, and CeraVa) advertised around the Super Bowl
Rihanna's makeup touch-up during her Super Bowl halftime performance (100m+ viewers) reportedly earned her brand Fenty Beauty a staggering US$5.6 million in media value within the first 12 hours
Unrivaled x Sephora
Sephora was announced as Unrivaled’s official and exclusive beauty partner earlier this year as part of a multi-year deal.
As part of the partnership, Sephora has brought beauty and self-expression to the forefront with:
A State-of-the-art glam room and beauty products for players
Prominent on-court branding
The Sephora Tunnel - a dedicated entrance walkway that has quickly become a standout platform for players to showcase their personal style and pregame fashion moments
Sephora’s high-profile partnership is contributing to the cultural significance of the new and disruptive basketball league.
Formula 1 x Charlotte Tilbury
Formula 1 has seen growth in female viewership, but participation remains low. As part of a mission to change this, and encourage female participation, Charlotte Tilbury became the first beauty brand and the first female-founded brand to become a sponsor of F1 Academy in 2024.
Beauty’s biggest athlete endorsements
Some of the world’s biggest female athletes have major beauty deals:
Simone Biles is the face of K18 which helps her “explore and express herself without sacrificing hair health”
Coco Gauff partners with Carol's Daughter, encouraging women (especially of colour) to celebrate their natural beauty and feel confident and proud in their own skin
On last year’s World Mental Health Day, Maybelline announced tennis champion and mental health advocate, Naomi Osaka, as its new ambassador
Athletes launching their own beauty brands
Some athletes are leveraging their influence further by launching their own brands:
In 2021, Naomi Osaka launched skincare brand KINLÒ
More recently, Serena Williams launched WYN BEAUTY as part of a joint venture with The Good Glamm Group
Active-wear brands have been circling
lululemon entered the beauty sector in 2019 when it launched a self-care range that was “designed by athletes for athletes”, which it later discontinued
Alo Yoga followed in 2020 when it launched a new skincare collection
Beauty brands are getting active in Australian sports
MECCA
MECCA activated its “MECCA MAX” Beauty Pit Stop Station at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix for the 2nd year in a row, providing fans with complimentary makeup applications, photo moments, product offerings and space to lounge for tired feet.
It also launched its new “MECCA SUMMER CLUB” at the Australian Open earlier this year, along with a new video and podcast series called “Momentum” which is designed to spark fresh conversations around women’s sport, fitness and health.
Bondi Sands
Last year, Tennis Australia announced an extension of its Australian Open partnership with Bondi Sands. At AO24, Bondi Sands distributed 600k+ product samples and placed 50+ misters around Melbourne Park during the tournament to help cool fans down.
Shark Beauty
Hosted a 4-day pop-up salon inside the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix, offering complimentary hair styling appointments for racegoers.
At Crown, it also helped VIP attendees prepare for Glamour on the Grid party.
Ralph Lauren
Lando Norris was unveiled as the new face of Ralph Lauren’s Polo Red last year, and to help activate his ambassador partnership, he recently appeared at a special Ralph Lauren event at the Stokehouse in St Kilda.
Unilever
In 2023, Unilever's personal care brands (Rexona, Dove, Lifebuoy, and Lux) became official sponsors of the FIFA Women's World Cup, marking the first time FIFA partnered with personal care brands across women's, men's, and esports events.
More recently, Dove Men+Care agreed to a new partnership with Rugby Australia until the end of 2027. The British & Irish Lions and Rugby Australia also announced the brand as a tour partner for this year's series in Australia.
L'Oréal
In early 2024, Mary Fowler became the first women athlete to become a L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador in Australia & New Zealand. Later in the year, Jess Fox announced that she was joining the L’Oréal Paris Australia & New Zealand family as a “Woman of Worth”.
La Roche-Posay
La Roche-Posay has partnered with Australia’s major sports events, including:
LIV Golf Adelaide
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
To promote its skin checks, it has also teamed up with the likes of:
Ariarne Titmus
Jack Doohan
Alex de Minaur
Christian Petracca
Patrick Dangerfield
Maybelline
In the lead up to the Australian Open, Maybelline Australia hosted an intimate evening with Naomi Osaka in support of the brand’s global mental wellbeing initiative, Brave Together.
CeraVe
Last year, CeraVe partnered with Chemist Warehouse during the NRL State Of Origin series to roll-out an onfield brand activation, and provided sampling to over 160,000 patrons.
Cetaphil
Cetaphil recently announced a new partnership with Collingwood FC's Daicos brothers (brokered by MADE Sports Group)
Adidas - Director Category Management
Adidas - Manager, Brand Coach
AFL - Stadium Experience Lead
Amer Sports - Senior Marketing Manager
Basketball NT - Chief Executive Officer
Blackmores - Brand Manager - Move, Sponsorship & PR
Brand Collective - Marketing Coordinator - Reebok & Superdry
Brand Collective - Marketing Manager - Reebok
Brisbane 2032 - Content Producer
Brisbane 2032 - Commercial Asset Development Manager
Brisbane 2032 - Director of Community Affairs
Brisbane Lions - Digital Coordinator
Brisbane Roar - Head of Consumer and Memberships
Carlton FC - Commercial Events Manager
Chery - Sponsorship and Events Manager
Cricket Australia - National Cricket Blast Lead
Cricket NSW - Board Director
Cronulla Sharks - Sponsorship Sales Executive
Crypto.com - (Senior)Product Manager, Sports
Entain - Business Development Executive
Football Australia - Manager - Commercial Operations
Football Australia - Commercial Manager - New Competitions
Football Australia - Manager - Media Rights and Partnerships
Flight Centre - Sports & Entertainment Supplier Content Manager
Foot Locker - Marketing Specialist
Foxtel Group - Junior Sport Content Producer
Golf Australia - National Program Manager - Schools
Hoops Capital - Senior Manager - Commercial Partnerships
IRONMAN, Oceania - Account Coordinator, Partnerships
JD Sports - Area Manager - NSW/ACT (12m FTC)
lululemon - Brand Manager, Australia & New Zealand
lululemon - Manager, Brand Operations (12 Months Contract)
lululemon - Senior Manager, Area Community
Melbourne Park - Conference & Events Planning Manager
Melbourne Park - Venue Manager - CENTREPIECE (Fixed Term Contract)
NBL - Media & PR Manager
New Balance - CRM & Loyalty Coordinator
New Balance - eCommerce Specialist
OMD Australia - Sports Partnerships Manager
Parramatta Eels - Digital Content Producer
PUMA - Commercial Marketing Manager
Quad Lock - Influencer & Partnerships Specialist
Queensland Government - Deputy Director-General, Sport
Queensland Rugby League - Consumer Business Manager
RAC WA - Sponsorship Manager
Red Bull - Head of Communications (14m FTC)
Sportsbet - Digital Media Specialist - 12 month FTC
Sports Entertainment Network - Digital Sales Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Partnership Coordinator
St George Illawarra - Social Media and Digital Content Specialist
Tata Consultancy Services - Event and Sponsorships Manager
Tasmania Devils - General Manager - Commercial
Tennis Australia - Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
TGI Sport - Event Experiential Producer
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
World Rugby - General Manager - Commercial Integration (Men's RWC 2027)
WNBL - Licensing, Brand & Community Manager
Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.
Red Bull in gyms?! F45 should sign up Winfield and Malboro too 🚬 🚬🚬